40 ft Vegetable Container Farm Arugula Programme
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Leafy green prices swing mainly because harvest dates are uncontrollable. In the container, Arugula moves from transplant to harvest in 15 - 20 days, and with tiered lighting and CO2 control the harvest date can be fixed weeks ahead and orders fulfilled weekly.
The controller stores a recipe per variety - photoperiod, intensity, nutrient concentration, irrigation frequency and climate - so a crop change is a recipe call, not a rebuild.
The fastest specialty leaf with the highest harvest count; high value per kilogram but low yield per cycle.
Supermarkets and fresh retail site the unit behind the store or at the distribution centre, scheduling Arugula to store sales and cutting transport losses.
CROP AND OUTPUT DATA
Variety | Arugula (Specialty green) |
Growing cycle (transplant to harvest) | 15 - 20 days |
Unit weight | 30 - 50 g |
Plants per cycle | approx. 3,300 - 5,800 |
Yield per cycle | 120 - 200 kg |
Cycles per year | 16 - 20 |
Annual output (estimate) | 1,920 - 4,000 kg |
Propagation | Direct seeding |
Crop difficulty | Easy |
Figures follow the 40 ft standard container baseline with about five growing tiers. Yield per cycle and annual output are estimates; actual results vary with tier count, light recipe, CO2 level and crop management.
KEY ADVANTAGES
· The insulated envelope with fresh air and dehumidification holds recipe conditions all year.
· The closed hydroponic loop uses far less water than soil culture, which suits water-scarce sites.
· Rated Easy in difficulty and run from process cards, the crop is workable by general staff.
· The 40 ft ISO shell ships on a standard flatbed and is lifted into place on site.
· About five tiers lift output per square metre to roughly five times open-field levels.
· No soil in the room means clean leaves and less post-harvest washing.
· Controlled cycle: Arugula reaches harvest 15 - 20 days after transplant, more than 50% faster than open-field production.
· Seedlings account for roughly 5 - 12% of operating cost, keeping the cost structure transparent.
CONTAINER CONFIGURATION
Footprint | 12.19 x 2.44 x 2.90 m (40 ft ISO container) |
Growing system | Approx. 5 tiers, hydroponic or aeroponic |
Scale per cycle | 3,300 - 5,800 plants |
Temperature | 18 - 24 °C, set per variety |
Relative humidity | 60 - 75% |
CO2 concentration | 800 - 1,200 ppm |
Lighting | LED recipe, dimmable per tier |
Nutrient solution | Closed loop with automatic EC and pH control |
Energy reference | 0.8 - 1.2 kWh per kg of fresh greens; electricity about 60 - 70% of operating cost |
Control and monitoring | PLC, touchscreen HMI, remote monitoring and alarms |
Delivery | Pre-commissioned at the factory, set and connected on site |
CLIMATE AND CONTROL
CO2 control interlocks with ventilation: enrichment during the light period lifts photosynthesis, while night ventilation controls humidity and prevents leaf-surface condensation.
The controller stores recipes by variety - temperature, humidity, photoperiod, irrigation frequency and nutrient targets - called up as a set. Changing crops loads a new recipe while batch history is retained.
CULTIVATION AND SCHEDULING
Planting density is held at 3,300 - 5,800 plants per cycle, with spacing and tier height matched to plant habit; harvest is graded to 30 - 50 g per head.
The standard schedule assumes a 40 ft unit with about five tiers: plant one batch and harvest one batch each week, giving 16 - 20 Arugula cycles a year. Adjust to order structure and harvest labour.
DELIVERY, TRAINING AND SERVICE
Commissioning covers nutrient mixing, EC and pH probe calibration, per-tier light measurement and climate interlock tests, confirmed item by item against the recipe.
Quarterly preventive maintenance covers filter changes, probe calibration, pump inspection, light-output measurement and alarm testing.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can several varieties run in one unit?
Yes. Allocate varieties by tier or zone with separate recipes, keeping neighbours' temperature and nutrient needs similar so neither is compromised.
How much produce can one unit deliver in a year?
On a 40 ft unit with about five tiers, expect 450 - 900 kg a month and 15 - 30 kg a day. For Arugula specifically, 120 - 200 kg per cycle across 16 - 20 cycles a year, with actual output depending on tiers, light recipe and management.
Where do the seedlings come from?
Either plug seedlings or direct seeding. Plugs arrive with intact roots and no transplant shock; direct seeding skips the nursery at lower cost but occupies the bed longer. Seedlings are about 5 - 12% of operating cost.
Can the operating data be exported?
The controller stores temperature, humidity, CO2, EC, pH and light by batch, exportable for order audits and origin documentation.
CONTACT AND DATA NOTES
Hangzhou Hengyu Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. designs, builds and delivers complete container farms. Share your site conditions, target varieties and daily volume, and we will return a layout, a crop schedule and an energy estimate. Figures in this document use the 40 ft standard container (about five growing tiers) as the baseline and are estimates; output varies with tier count, light recipe, CO2 level and crop management, and is not a performance guarantee.
